What an intelligent, well-written and argued article. Meg Wallace, by employing Rawls' theoretical framework, provides a robust intellectual structure for the sorts of ideas that we ethical but non-religious types have about the relationships between politics and religion in Australian society.

Unfortunately, I fear that her arguments will sail way above the heads of our most vociferous resident godbotherers at OLO.

A very touchy topic indeed.
But then I much prefer a Christian politics inspired by Boenhoffer to that inspired by the sado-masochistic Opus Dei which influences much of right wing Christian politics.

instructive article. bonhoeffer was not a saint, it turns out, and i think we will discover the same about rudd. pretty safe prediction, about any human being.

these sorts of articles always end too soon. they always stop before talking about 'how'. natural enough, the writer generally has no idea how to do anything easy, much less bring truth and justice to the multitudes. that's genuinely hard as the multitudes don't have much interest in big questions and commonly confuse 't and j' with 'what i want/think'.

CJ....ur a classic :) "We ethical but non religious types" :) "ETHICAL" ?

Puh-lease don't give me the raw prawn cobber.. you insult people with a refinement only matched by Shakespeare :)

Just goes to confirm another of my long running addages.. "people see the world in terms of their own presuppositions" so..if you believe you are ethical, but regularly insult people.. I guess your 'ethics' includes 'refined, well honed insults' 0_-

Not that they bother me... but it seems funny to see you writing about 'self righteousness' like that.. me ? aaha.. you know it. .I'm a dirty rotten sinner, saved by grace... and I still stumble and crash at times.

You remind me of those PC people who honestly believe you can pick up a turd by the clean end *grin*

TOPIC... quite right.. it isn't a Church... next ?

THE BIGGEST DANGER in the current religious and culture wars comes from the "right" wing religionists because to one degree or another (and even to an absolute degree) they presume that they possess the one true faith/way/revelation.
This applies to the "right" wherever they are culturally and geographically.

And of course the two institutions which claim to possess the one true way/truth/revelation and therefore "gods" mandate to convert all of humankind to their one true way, are the monstrous momotheisms---namely Islam and Christianity (particularly the misnamed "catholic" version and its "magisterium").

Any religious insitution that claims such a mandate has effectively DECLARED WAR on all other religions and their cultural expressions. And will, given half the chance, use whatever means necessary to achieve their goal of universal conversion/conquest.

These two would be world conquering grotesque-isms are now gearing up for the "final" showdown to determine who will rule the world. If this grotesque drama is allowed to follow its pattern(ing) to its inevitable ("logical") conclusion, then Humankind, and indeed, all of Earthkind, will most probably be destroyed.

It is a PATTERN of conflict which has the immense force of centuries behind it--a terrible almost unstoppable momentum.

As does the drive to total power and control of the Western "cultural" project.

Parliament developed over the past five hundred years to protect Commoners from Monarchy and the excesses of the so called Nobility and Upper Classes. In Britian there is still a peer distinction between Lords and Commoners - people have a caste, almost. Now Monarchy is not a threat, rather religion-in-politics and the politicians themselves, including (1) the restrictions of a pertuated two party system, (2)the danager of dynastic democracies, as in India, Indonesia, even the US developing here and the politicians just doing their own thing until a month before the election.

Politicians have become a threat to the extent, that it is they whom hold power, have limited hearing to jumping when it comes to listening to public opinion. Labor-Liberal; is cosy arrangement: But, that said, the Pollies "do" to listen the Churches and Mercantile Powers [SMEs and major industry].

Moreover, these previledged religious and commercial parties, whom theoretically are NOT constituents have greater access to the "corridors of power" than a working class voter [who is a constituent] with a problem that needs to be addressed and progressed to Parliament by his/her local member.

Moreover, the Churches and Business realise the above, so the situation becomes more established day-by-day. Both nuture it well to their advantage. Churches and Business know they have a fast lane to power. The pulpit and the cheque book, respectively, have enhance symbiotic relations. The three are as if three electric wires all carrying current -intertwined- with none the Earth. The role of Earth feeling the affects of this consortium felt by We, The People.